1Rationale

The course of events in international,
regional and domestic affairs in the nations and territories that comprise Asia
and the Pacific Islands has been significantly affected by the policy,
temporary engagement, long period of colonial rule and neo-colonial hegemony of
the USA. From Manifest Destiny, the Munroe Doctrine through to the Nixon
Doctrine, a USA role in the region was promoted and in the 21st C, the USA
continues to be both a world power and a local presence. The USA “opened” Japan
to the West, was an “Unequal Treaties” partner in China, fought wars in Korea,
the southwest Pacific, Vietnam and Indo-China, held colonies, trusteeships,
incorporated territories and States in the Philippines, Micronesia, Samoa and
Hawaii, dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Christmas Island and
Bikini Atoll, refused to sign fishing treaties with small Island nations, sent
“Peace Corp” volunteers and funded cultural and heritage programs. It is a
complex relationship with historical and continuing significance in
international and global affairs. In 2002, this unit will focus on the relationship
between the USA and the Pacific Islands. It is offered as an elective in the International
and Global Studies and History discipline majors.

Related
Pacific Island History Units;

HHB122Colonialism and independence in the
Asia-Pacific

HHB242Culture contact in the Pacific

HHB243The Pacific since 1945

HHB245Australia and the Pacific Islands

HHB248USA in the Asia-Pacific

HHB320Independent Project (1) (by fieldwork in
Tonga and Samoa)

2Objectives

At the end of this unit students will be
able to;

i.identify
major patterns in the history of USA relations with Asia-Pacific

ii.understand the global context of regional
relationships between superpowers and between superpowers and microstates

iiiidentify concepts, models and theoretical
positions that apply to an historical understanding of international relations

iv.apply
appropriate research methodologies for the investigation of issues

v.argue
and present material in an articulate, coherent and referenced manner

3Content

The content follows a broad chronology but
is organised in themes that allows bilateral and multilateral comparison, and
evolving USA policy to be studied in a “change over time” structure. The
subject matter is selective rather than comprehensive, and balances an Americans-abroad
approach against the global perspective of USA involvement in the wider region,
sub-regions, individual nations and entities.

The Asia/Pacific in USA expansion westwards – an overview
1800-2000

Whalers, fur-sealers, Missions and scientific expeditions

Conquering Hawaii

Buying the Philippines and Guam

Partitioning Samoa

The Pacific War

The USA as a colonial administration – States, Compacts and
Trust Territories

The USA as a Cold-War warrior 1945-1989

The USA-Pacific in literature, film and art

Superpower relationships with microstates

Pacific Islanders in the USA

American cultural influences – Peace Corp to Coke.

4Approaches
to teaching and learning

This unit is offered flexible, intensive
mode – a one hour introductory session in scheduled
class time in week 1, followed by the first six Saturdays in Semester 2, (weeks
1-6), from 9.00am-3.00pm,at CA Campus.
To achieve the objectives students will undertake a sequenced program of
lectures, tutorials and student presentations that incorporate the latest
research findings, film, documentaries and archival evidence. As an advanced
elective, there will be an emphasis on intensive, independent, self-directed
study and teacher-learner interaction.

5Plagiarism
and Copied Papers

Unethical and dishonest practices will not
be tolerated.Plagiarism, copied papers
and cheating are such offences.Plagiarism, as defined in the QUT Handbook, is the act of taking and
using another person’s work as one’s own.Note also that students who copy each other’s papers are engaged in a
form of cheating, and the original – as well as all copies– of a paper
will be subject to penalties.The
University has formal disciplinary procedures that will be followed in these
circumstances (for further details refer to the 2002 QUT Handbook)

6Availability
for Examinations

The
School expects that students will make themselves available for examinations
both during teaching time and in the examination period following the
conclusion of classes.Applications for
Examinations outside specified times will only be accepted in exceptional
circumstances and involve the lodging of the appropriate form – QUT forms for
‘deferred exams’ for centrally based exams and the School form for School based
exams including mid-semester exams.Claims for such circumstances must be accompanied by appropriate
substantiating documentation such as: doctors’ certificates that indicate the
nature and duration of a medical condition; statutory declarations that
indicate a significant problem and letters from employing authorities etc.
Students may make applications for up to two sets of deferred/early
examinations in their course career – that is, they can only seek
deferred/early exams for some or all of their units in two semesters. Further applications for deferred/early
examinations (beyond the two sets allowed) will be thoroughly scrutinised.Such students will be required to provide
additional documentation and attend a meeting with the Undergraduate Studies
Coordinator and or Head of School to discuss their circumstances.When such applications are successful,
students may be required to take the exam(s) during the examination period in
the next (following) semester.

7Late
Submission of Assignments

Extensions of time for assignment
submission will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.To seek an extension, students must lodge an
Extension Request Form and direct it to the appropriate Unit coordinator.These forms are available from the School
office and on line from the School website.Extensions should be sought as early as possible in the semester and
prior to the submission date.When
faced why extraordinary circumstance, students should lodge an Extension
Request Form as close to the submission date as possible.Requests for extensions must be lodged in
hard copy at the School Office and be accompanied by supporting documentation
such as Doctor’s Certificates which indicate the nature and duration of medical
conditions; statutory declarations which indicate significant problems; and
letters from employing authorities, etc.Lecturers may also require that such documentation include evidence of
work that the student has completed on the assignment for which the extension is
sought. Late submissions – i.e., assessment items submitted after the due date
without an extension of time - will be penalised as follows:

·Assignments submitted within 5 working
days following the due date – a deduction of 10% per day of the marks due for
that assessment item;

·Assignments submitted within 6 or more
working days after the due date will not be accepted.

8Non-Discriminating
Language

Students are expected to use
non-discriminatory, inclusive language in all assessment and learning
situations.Students should ensure that
written and oral language does not devalue, demean or exclude individuals or
groups on the basis of attributes such as gender, disability, culture, race,
religion, sexuality, age or physical appearance.

9Assessment

Assessment
items offer an opportunity to present orally (in seminar format), write
research papers and short answer questions on specific readings and complete a
written examination (essay format). All assessment will be completed by August
24 2002 (week 6).All items must be
submitted to obtain a grade of “4” or better. All items are an individual
assignment. Assessment instruments will address the Objectives, and be weighted
as follows:

The examination is a summative assessment
of concepts, understanding, knowledge and skills developed during the unit. Formative
assessment occurs throughout the unit, but particularly in the
consultation, drafting, presentation and feedback associated with the student
discussions and formal essay.

Attendance at all six sessions is
compulsory. (Each session is the equivalent of two weeks normal class) One or
more absence incurs a penalty of 25%)

Summary of assessment tasks

1Short answers; Ron Crocombe,
“Overview; parameters of USA … “

10%Due, Saturday 20 July 2002 (Week 1)

2Short
answers;RC Kiste, “United States …..”

10%Due, Saturday 27 July2002 (Week 2)

3Short
answers;
David Hanlon, “Micronesia; writing and rewriting … “

10%Due, Saturday 3 August 2002 (Week 3)

4Class
presentation, 10 minutes on essay topic,

10%Due, Saturday 10. 17 or 24 August 2002
(Week 4, 5 or 6)

41500
word essay;based on readings….

30%Due, Saturday 24 August 2002 (Week 6)

5Examination;
One compulsory essay and two essays chosen from the special

Choose one of the
current or former USA territories and states (Hawaii, RMI, FSM, Palau, Guam,
CNMI, American Samoa) and in the first part briefly describe the manner of
acquisition, the form of colonial control, changes in the relationship over
time and the issue of decolonisation or stages towards self-government/autonomy
in the country chosen. (400 words) The second and major part of the essay
should describe the current relationship with the USA. (800 words) The third
and final part should comment on future directions in relations between the
country and the USA and the wider chronology of all USA-Pacific relationships
(300 words)

See section (xii)
below under Recent events and regional commentaries for references on
current events.

The class presentation is a
progress report and summary (10 minutes) of initial opinion on the reading
being taken for the essay (worth 10%) and should cover

W Tagupa, “The High Court of Western Samoa and the traditional land
tenure disputes in the context of modern economic development” in R Crocombe
and M Meleisea, eds, Land issues in the Pacific, IPS/USP, 183-190, 1994

vii.Micronesia (from USTT to Free
Association)

D Ballendorf, “Secrets without substance; US intelligence in the Japanese
mandates 1915-1935”, JPH, 83-99, 1984

E Boneparth and MJ Wilkinson, “Terminating trusteeship for the FSM
and RMI; independence and self-sufficiency in the post-Cold War Pacific, PS,
18, 1, 61-78, 1995

D Hanlon, Remaking Micronesia; discourses over development in a
Pacific territory 1944-82, University of Hawaii Press 1997

D Hanlon, “The end of history for the edge of paradise; economic
development and the Compacts of free association in American Micronesia”, in BV
Lal and H nelson, eds, Lines across the sea; colonial inheritance in the
post colonial Pacific, PHA, p.83-94, 1995

C Heine, Micronesia at the crossroads, University of Hawaii
Press 1974

The journals The Contemporary Pacific
and Journal of Pacific History have annual surveys, and Pacific News
Bulletin, The New Pacific, Pacific Islands Business, and Tok blong SPFF comment on monthly or
quarterly current events.

There are hundreds of www sites on the
Pacific region, individual countries or special single-focus issues, as well as
daily news bulletins and updates.

11Risk
Assessment Statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks
associated with this unit

12Disclaimer

Offer of some units is subject to
viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to
commencement of semester

Independent tasks before 10th August

A dream of
islands … (in Readings) and S Firth, “The war in
the Pacific” (in Readings)

Fourth
Saturday session 10th August0900-1500hrs

9.00 – 10.00Special topics No 2; Biography – Walter Murray Gibson

10.00 – 11.00Student presentations

11.30 – 12.30Special topics No 3; Biography – Herman Melville

12.30 -1.30Student
presentations

2.00 - 3.00Special
topic No 4; WW11 – the USA campaigns

Independent tasks before 17th August

iPrepare draft of
your report to class

iiRead additional
referencesfor Special topics 5, 6 and
7-Start with Poyer, Falgout and
Carucci on “The legacy of war” (in Readings) and Boneparth and Wilkenson (1995) and Darwin
(1996) on the Cold war period (in Readings)

Fifth
Saturday session 17th
August0900-1500hrs

9.00 – 10.00Special topics No 5; WW11 – indigenous responses

10.00 – 11.00Student presentations

11.30 – 12.30Special topics No 6; Bikini and nuclear testing

12.30 -1.30Student
presentations

2.00 - 3.00Special
topic No 7; The impact of the Cold War

Independent
tasks before Examination )

iSelect four special topics for study and readat least one additional reference each on
special topic

iiReadat least one additional reference on Hawaii

iiRevise and make
summaries of notes

Sixth
(and last) Saturday session 24 August0900-1210hrs

09.00 - 09.10Reading Time

09.10 - 12.10Examination

14Readings and questions (for the
first three sessions)

Questions on

Crocombe R, The Pacific Islands and
the USA, IPS/USP, 1995, 1-48

1Crocombe claims USA actions took place
in a global context of competition – competition between whom?

In 19th C-

In 1890s-

In 1900-1945-

In 1950-1990-

2Crocombe identifies 5 periods in the
relationship between USA and Oceania. List the dates for each period.

3Crocombe claims USA policy in Oceania
is not representative of wider USA attitudes; List six areas of difference.

4Crocombe lists three forms of
territorial control (annexation) – list the three forms.

5Crocombe claims the USA was definitely
“colonial” and the “most active in the world in the 1800s in acquiring
territory” – what evidence is used to support this claim?